Traditionally, smothered chicken is made of whole chicken broken into pieces. That’s the biggest challenge. You can’t have perfectly cooked white and dark chicken meat in one pot. To get that perfection you need to hover over the pan like a hawk and pull the breasts out first, letting the drumsticks and thighs cook longer. That’s too much fuss for a weekday dinner. I solved this challenge by using just chicken drumsticks and thighs that I cook to 185F internal temperature. At 165F dark chicken meat tastes tough and under-cooked. At 185F the meat is tender and falls off the bone. Just how I like it.
I like the sauce over my smothered chicken to not feel like gravy. I played with the ratios and came up with the perfect consistency. Of course, that’s a personal matter and you may adjust the amount of flour up or down to make your sauce thicker or thinner. Some recipes use vinegar, some don’t. I think some vinegar is a must for adding the balance to the dish. One tablespoon of cider vinegar will suffice. Some heat is always welcome. I find that some cayenne pepper gives me exactly what I need without introducing any off-flavors.
